SEC: Alabama's Quinton Dial should have been penalized on Aaron Murray hit (video)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Alabama defensive lineman Quinton Dial should have been penalized in the SEC Championship Game for his hit on Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, SEC coordinator of officials Steve Shaw said today. Whether Dial misses the BCS Championship Game becomes the next question.

After reviewing video, SEC Commissioner Mike Slive will decide whether Dial misses the national championship against Notre Dame, Shaw said. Slive has suspended two SEC players this season for hits that targeted the head of players.

"As you've noticed, Commissioner has been vigilant on this and he did it (suspend players) when warranted and didn't when it wasn't," Shaw said. "I'm not sure the upcoming opponent is ever a condition in the decision. I think it's more based on the facts in the play."

In the first half Saturday, Murray threw an interception and watched Alabama's Ha-Sean Clinton-Dix return the ball upfield. Dial hit Murray with a vicious helmet-to-helmet hit that knocked Murray to the ground. There was no flag on the play despite an official standing near the hit.

"We missed the call," Shaw said.

NCAA rules mandate that conference offices review any flagrant personal foul or targeting for possible future punishment, whether a penalty was called on the field or not.

"By rule, you can't hit a defenseless player above the shoulders," Shaw said. "What the determination needs to be is was this a defenseless player and was contact initiated above the shoulders? When we go through video review of it, that's what we'll have to determine. And then you as you break it down, did he lead with the head or lead with the shoulder? From game action, it was a personal foul regardless of how we break it down frame by frame."

Shaw said several plays from Alabama-Georgia will be reviewed, as is the case every week. Because Slive is traveling, Shaw may not meet this week with Slive to review the video.

The personal-foul penalty against Georgia for a hit on Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron was a correct call, Shaw said.

Dial's hit has drawn the most focus nationally, including many times on the CBS broadcast. Immediately after the play, some NFL reporters tweeted that such a hit would draw a $25,000 penalty in pro football given the NFL's added emphasis on trying to limit head injuries.

Slive handed down one-game suspensions over consecutive weeks in September to Ole Miss defensive back Trae Elston and South Carolina safety D.J. Swearinger. The SEC ruled they had targeted players on flagrant hits during nonconference games.

Elston missed a game against then-No. 14 Texas for his hit against UTEP. Swearinger sat out the Gamecocks' SEC opener against Missouri for his hit against UAB.

When issuing those suspensions, the SEC cited Rule 9-1-4 of the NCAA rulebook, which states: "No player shall target and initiate contact to the head or neck area of a defenseless opponent with the helmet, forearm, elbow or shoulder."

Dial has 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and 21 tackles in 12 games for Alabama this season as a senior.